Over 22,000 comments were posted (https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=DEA-2016-0015-0006)by the public on the Regulations.gov website about kratom. The most ever in its category I think. One of the highest total comment counts ever. The public commenting period is now over. Thanks to everyone who made a comment.

First, a journalist by the name of Anthony Roberts at Medium filed a FOIA request for the information that the DEA is using to justify banning kratom. As you can see here (https://medium.com/@anthonyroberts/dea-balks-at-latest-kratom-foia-refuses-to-provide-further-information-d725dc0ce170#.xwq7276js)they more or less refused to provide that information. This is probably because the information would reveal that there is no good justification for banning kratom. It would probably also reveal pharmaceutical lobbyists pushing for the ban.

Second, I want to bring to your attention an individual by the name of Dr. Daniel Fabricant. Fabricant is currently the CEO (and sets his own very high salary) of the Natural Products Association. Previously he worked at the FDA as the director of the dietary supplements division. Before that, he was the Vice-President of the National Products Association. As you can tell, he bounces back and forth between the NPA (private trade organization) and FDA (public institution) for employment. This is what's known as revolving door corruption.

At both the NPA and FDA he has been pushing for kratom to be banned. His last act at the FDA was to start the illegal seizures of kratom imports. Even though kratom is not illegal the FDA has been seizing imports of it for some time. This would not hold up in court. Despite the name, the NPA is funded by chemical companies like Bayer, Dupont, and BASF. There is obviously nothing natural about them. To get the NPA seal your product doesn't even have to be natural.

The NPA are supposed to be champions of natural products. Instead, the NPA and its CEO are pushing for one of the most effective, safe, and widely used natural products to be banned. When people try to ask Dr. Fabricant questions on Twitter he blocks them. When people left reviews of the NPA on Facebook they turned it off. If you see the interview of American Kratom Association director Susan Ash on "The Doctors" you will see what a bully he is.